Climate Capital
Climate Capital is a San Francisco early-stage climate-tech venture capital firm and AngelList syndicate, founded in 2018. Climate Capital backs founders decarbonizing the global economy, and water shows up as one thread reached through filtration and materials chemistry. As of 2026 it has backed 3 water companies across 3 deals, leading none.
Compiled by Antoine Walter, (don't) Waste Water, from official filings and direct intelligence in Leviathan.
The take
Climate Capital started in 2015 as a single climate deal Sundeep Ahuja syndicated on AngelList, and grew into one of the most active early-stage climate investors anywhere, with more than 250 startups across its funds. It is a generalist climate platform, not a water specialist: energy, industrial decarbonization, carbon removal and resilience all sit ahead of water in the mandate, so water arrives as a thread, not a thesis.
Where Climate Capital does touch water, the pattern is chemistry and materials rather than pipes and utilities. Its three water bets are ChemFinity Technologies, building porous-polymer sorbents that pull target ions, including PFAS (the so-called forever chemicals), out of water; Glanris, which turns rice husks into carbon-negative filtration media; and Cala Systems, whose smart heat-pump water heaters cut the energy a household spends heating water. All three are seed or Series A, and Climate Capital led none of them.
Climate Capital invests the way a syndicate does, writing supporting cheques alongside other backers rather than setting a round's terms, which is why its water deals carry familiar climate names beside it: Clean Energy Ventures, Collaborative Fund, Burnt Island Ventures. The honest read for a newcomer is that Climate Capital is a climate generalist that will back a strong water-materials team, not a fund built around water. If you are a founder turning novel chemistry on a water problem, it is a plausible first cheque; if you want a water-thesis lead investor, it is not that.
Water Commitment Score
Compiled from official filings, third-party records, and direct intelligence from investors and founders, in Leviathan · recomputed monthly · as of Jun 2026.
How they invest
Portfolio · 3 water companies
Invests alongside
Highlighted = profiled on (don't) Waste Water.
Frequently asked
- What does Climate Capital invest in?
- Climate Capital is an early-stage climate-tech venture firm that backs founders decarbonizing the economy across energy, industrial decarbonization, carbon removal and resilience. Water is one thread inside that broad mandate, reached mostly through filtration and materials chemistry rather than a dedicated water strategy.
- What water companies has Climate Capital backed?
- Climate Capital has backed three water companies across three deals: ChemFinity Technologies, building polymer sorbents that capture PFAS and other ions from water; Glanris, which makes carbon-negative filtration media from rice husks; and Cala Systems, maker of smart heat-pump water heaters that cut household energy use.
- Does Climate Capital lead funding rounds?
- Climate Capital has led none of its three water deals. It invests like a syndicate, writing supporting cheques alongside other climate backers such as Clean Energy Ventures, Collaborative Fund and Burnt Island Ventures, rather than setting a round's terms. For a water lead investor, it is not the cheque to chase.
- Who runs Climate Capital?
- Climate Capital was founded in 2018 by Sundeep Ahuja, a three-time founder turned investor who runs it as General Partner. Its investment team includes Managing Partner Jennifer Kan, who leads the firm's climate-bio fund, and Venture Partner Daniel Kriozere. The firm is based in San Francisco.
- Is Climate Capital the same as Aligned Climate Capital?
- No. Climate Capital is Sundeep Ahuja's San Francisco climate-tech venture platform and AngelList syndicate. Aligned Climate Capital is a separate firm, and the UK-registered climate.capital is another. Only the San Francisco Climate Capital backed ChemFinity, Glanris and Cala Systems.